CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aslan is Nearer
E
DMUND meanwhile had been having a most disappointing time. When the dwarf had gone to get the sledge ready he expected that the Witch would start being nice to him, as she had been at their last meeting. But she said nothing at all. And when at last Edmund plucked up his courage to say, “Please, your Majesty, could I have some Turkish Delight? You — you — said-” she answered, “Silence, fool!” Then she appeared to change her mind and said, as if to herself, a “And yet it will not do to have the brat fainting on the way,” and once more clapped her hands. Another, dwarf appeared. “Bring the human creature food and drink,” she said. The dwarf went away and presently returned bringing an iron bowl with some water in it and an iron plate with a hunk of dry bread on it. He grinned in a repulsive manner as he set them down on the floor beside Edmund and said: “Turkish Delight for the little Prince. Ha! Ha! Ha!” “Take it away,” said Edmund sulkily. “I don’t want dry bread.” But the Witch suddenly turned on him with such a terrible expression on her face that he, apologised and began to nibble at the bread, though, it was so stale he could hardly get it down. “You may be glad enough of it before you taste bread again,” said the Witch. While he was still chewing away the first dwarf came back and announced that the sledge was ready. The White Witch rose and went out, ordering Edmund to go with her. The snow was again falling as they came into the courtyard, but she took no notice of that and made
